Show it takes two life is a game you cant play single handed for no man liveth unto myself L by WINIFRED WILLARD J I 1 TT T WAS the close of a symphony season at a regular summering place in new york handsome in white flannels and flushed with triumph the conductor of the great metropolitan symphony orchestra 60 artists playing as one man was acknowledging the enthusiastic applause and appreciation of his nationwide nation wide audience they had been listening to this orchestra for many days with mounting pleasure the cheering ceased to give the leader time to speak it takes two to make a good concert he said with a smile orchestra and audience real wisdom for every day living in that it takes two for most things in life christmas aboard a great ship for panama was nightmare to me I 1 proved the need of two by it its s very absence the passenger at table talk just sat and looked bored I 1 am sure she was I 1 know I 1 was I 1 tried it alone hunted between meals for something to talk about or something to get her going things to say to break the gloomy silence that always came when she came whatever I 1 said brought her maddeningly superior yes or her dishearteningly final no perhaps our vibrations or something were in inharmonious I 1 and get far alone and the cruise was a flop because she play her part we both missed the zest of a great opportunity that took two 1 fun un in teamwork I 1 recently I 1 was a guest in 4 family of five on the the porch at the table I 1 in the kitchen anywhere every day conversation was a thrilling game that raced and ran through politics sports history current happenings religion anywhere keen alert minds enjoy going everybody mother father three strapping sons and I 1 joined in laughing talking differing liffering agreeing repartee was stimulating whoever happened to be around it was this fine quality which the symphony conductor meant when he said to his audience it takes two to make a good concert it does take two or ten however many ir matter to play the complicated game of life where each has his part and where each part needs all the others we cant do it alone we are done for before we begin if we try A man who is significant only because he is a fairly common type never lets you finish what you start to say he has no patience with it takes two he wants to be the all and only he cuts in on you grabs the words out of your mouth tells you what he thinks you are going to say leaves you wondering where you were with your story and more than a little peeved he makes me want to push my figurative toe into his conversational door the way the agent does until I 1 have finished what I 1 was saying he any monopoly on conversational rights he is entitled to equal chance with what he wants to say so am 11 II 1 only he nev never er thinks so and he rates ap as a rather high class social bore it is most reprehensible whenever an agent tries the trick of putting his toe in my doorway to force an entrance to my home but I 1 am dead sure it is justifiable conversationally tio nally speaking when any person breaks in and cuts my sentence in two just to make the opening bigger and bolder for himself it takes two stockholders dilemma 3 A while back in the far westa wes 40 shadow of a sheriff darkened a hi pital stockholders owned it but they paid much attention to its need for money accordingly they faced either lose or pay one day it tell fell to me to travel more than miles through sizzling heat across a midsummer mid summer desert to explain to these stockholders their dire situation mercury stood about the chairman had no notion of the hazardous stakes he was playing as he turned turned that group into a lawn party surely it was hot out of doors was a little more comfortable but we were there to study a crisis I 1 chewed my lips at the futility I 1 faced after the chairman introduced me to the group he said while she talks we will have some refreshments I 1 wanted to throw back at him that it takes two to play that this was their game not mine their hospital not mine and if ice cream was their deepest craving I 1 might like some too it was as hot for me as it was for them instead I 1 tried to count ten brittle digits in a row to calm down and to put their financial straits clearly before them they ate their sweets I 1 talked my heart out they lost their hospital then they cared life is like that no use talking the single driver stands to lose more often than the double team the man that wants to say it all and do it all and be it all and have it all finds out sooner or later that no man liveth unto himself and that everywhere with everybody you need me I 1 need you and we all need one another life does call for reciprocity it does take two to win copyright service |